Lopez Blogs

Endings can be bittersweet can't they? Sometimes they can be downright frustrating and have a distinct lack of closure (most things in life; Veronica Mars; Angel before the comic series), sometimes they can be downright heartbreaking - either because it's tremendously sad or because it's actually ending (relationships; soured friendships; Buffy; Harry Potter) and sometimes - just sometimes - they can be quite lovely. There are examples of all of these below:

Dr Who - Season Four


It went from the spectre of Catherine Tate being too Catherine Tate-y to actually being possibly the best series of NuWho to date. From Pompeii to towing earth across the universe, Catherine and David turned out to be a stellar couple and another confirmation that actually whoever casts Dr Who picks the best companions ever. It's indeed a testament to the show that each year a major cast change happens and it remains as lively and energetic as ever. Dr Who 9 bowed out at the end of year one, Rose went parallel at end of NuWhoTwo and of course Martha went all torchwoody at end of year three. I'm trying not to give too much away by the season four finale, but the words epic and amazing don't even begin to cover it. There are dark and spooky bits (the daleks flying through german woodlands), fanwankery bits (the continuity of Sarah Jane and Davros; that bird from Torchwood being all linked to the quiet undead thing from last year); exciting bits (K9! David Tennant doing a Donna impression! Martha doing crap german! A traitor in the midst being not so much about who was a traitor but whose midst they were in!) and touching bits (anything Bernard Cribbins said or did, particularly at the front door as the Doctor was leaving; Rose's bittersweet end; Donna's plea to the doctor before that final thing happened to her). Sure it wasn't entirely perfect, and there was a bit of heavy reliance on deus ex machina but it was Russell T Davies' swan song and it was more about heart than sci fi. It would be nice to see doctor having travelled by himself for a couple of years now after having had that great few moments of being surrounded by his entire family before losing them all again. And would it kill the writers to give the boy a hot male assistant for a change! Bring on the 2009 specials...

LINK: Official Dr Who website

LINK: DanUK's opinion on the finale

Everwood Series Finale

Boo to the CW for a) not giving Veronica Mars a fourth season and b) not even picking up the brilliant but unappreciated Everwood. Instead they choose to renew One Tree Hill and revitalise the already finished 7th Heaven respectively. Insanity! Anyway, I finally got to watch the final season of Everwood (it was never "cool" enough to be picked up regularly in the UK so i finally got it thanks to tv torrents!) and indeed the last episode on a train to some godforsaken place "oop north". Everwood was basically a male take on the Gilmore Girls, except the father and son are not best friends and certainly have their issues over the 89 episodes their story is told over. Like the gilmore girls, however, it's the creation of the local community that adds layers and depth to this beautifully crafted tale. The last episode is all about the characters getting a little happiness and while not particularly reflective of how Everwood often turned out (remember the heartbreaking moment in season 3 where Ephraim tells his dad he wants him to move back to New York with him, just hours before Andy knows Ephraim will learn of his pregnancy betrayal?) but is a fitting finale for this much loved show. Some of the highlights include:

• Andy proposing to Nina on the very same spot where he met her, despite all the workman sucking the romance out of it like a vacuum
• Ephraim wanting his dad to be happy...
• Hannah choosing to stay in Everwood by mailing her acceptance letter to A&M (mailing or not mailing things has always been an important part of the show) and renewing her friendship with Bright (such an ironic name but a loveable character)
• Amy with the Ferris wheel doing her version of "pick me. choose me. love me" to Ephraim...
• The Abbots ending up with not only a new baby but a live in grandma as well. Way to go Junior...

So it was all as lovely and happy as it could be, and quite heartwarming to boot. God knows what the people next to me on the train thought of me for sniffling away into my archos. I kept muttering hayfevery type things to throw them off my emotional sent.

LINK: For more of the amazing Greg Berlanti (creator) go check out Brothers and Sisters...

LINK: ... or indeed Nick's review of the brillo Jack&Bobby

The Importance Of That Final Song

Apparently, Britain does not need to see movies at the same time as Americans. Apparently, it behooves us to wait and spend half our lives avoiding spoilers. Yes, anyway, Prince Caspian finally opened in Britain and Kirsty, DazPecs and myself rushed out to see it. I liked. A lot. But of course it had Ben "history boys" Barnes in it so what was not to like? But on a less superficial level than that, I thought it pretty much rocked. But this isn't about my review of the film, more about how much more beautiful the already beautiful Regina Spektor song that closes the film became once I saw/heard it in context. Yuri first "call"ed this one a while back (see what I did there) and at first I was disappointed that it wasn't a remake of the poptacular Backstreet Boys song. But upon hearing it, I fell in love with this rather restrained and elegant ballad and it just - *just* - missed out on being in my top songs of the year so far feature. It seems almost rude to say that the ending of the film was the best part, but the song The Call perfectly embodied the ending of the Narnia experience for at least two of the Pensivie kids. Trust me, when I say it's an utterly remarkable use of a flawless song that had me tearing up in the cinema and being thankful that the corridors leading out of it where quite dark...


MP3: Regina Spektor - The Call

See you tomorrow folks. And don't forget to share your favourite endings :)